Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 5 French Guides

Year 5 - French

1st January in Haiti: -er verbs 'ils' and 'elles'

Celebrations in France and Haiti: plural -ER verbs, est-ce que, negation

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils use plural -er verbs, negation and est-ce que questions to ask and answer about important festivals in France and Haiti, including Christmas, New Year, Haitian Independence, 'La Chandeleur' and Mardi Gras. Knowledge of key 'e' sounds is strengthened.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to form sentences to describe independence celebrations in Haiti using plural -er verbs and the pronouns 'ils' and 'elles'.

Key Notes

  • The letters è and ê make the same sound, it is different to [e]. Accents can change the pronunciation of a letter.
  • Haiti gained independence from France on the 1st January 1804.
  • To refer to one person in French, we use the pronouns il or elle (he or she).
  • To refer to more than one person in French, we use the pronouns ils or elles (they in the masculine or feminine forms).
  • Tout le monde means everyone. It uses the 3rd person singular of the verb, not the third person plural.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [è/ê]: pronounced as in 'fête'
  • ils: pronoun meaning 'they' when referring to a group of boys or a group of boys and girls (masculine form)
  • elles: pronoun meaning 'they' when referring to a group of girls (feminine form)

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Like in English, there is only one way to refer to 'they' in French.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

The letters è and ê make the same sound, it is different to [e]. Accents can change the pronunciation of a letter. Haiti gained independence from France on the 1st January 1804.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[è/ê]'

pronounced as in 'fête'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: Like in English, there is only one way to refer to 'they' in French. Correction: In French there are in fact two ways to say they: ils and elles. Use ils when referring to a group of boys, or a group of boys and girls (masculine form). Use elles when referring to a group of girls (feminine form).

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 5 French guide library.